Thursday, August 1, 2013

Back-to-Work Changes

Hey guys!

So I'm in planning mode:

My first official day back is next Friday, although I'm going to go in a day or two before to set up my classroom. They didn't have any painting or anything scheduled so I was able to leave up a lot of my posters, but I did pack up my desk and some other personal stuff that I need to lay back out and I have other back-to-school stuff to start thinking about: welcome letters, etc.

In addition to dressing up more, meals will change a little when I go back, since I will have less time. I am planning on having cereal most mornings like usual, but for rush out the door breakfasts I have frozen whole grain waffles on the store list. Spread with a spoonful of peanut butter and with a banana on the side, one of these makes a decent breakfast in the car. Just make sure to check the sugar content! (By the way, of COURSE I have mornings like this, who doesn't??)

One of the perks of working at my school is the lunches. When I worked in public schools I always brought my lunch, meaning I ate a lot of Lean Cuisine and salads, since I despise soggy, smooshed sandwiches. I never regretted the extra time it took to plan for and pack lunches, since the cafeteria smelled awful every day and lunch time for teachers is just plain too short to go off campus. When I switched to private school two years ago, I was told that lunches were included and inwardly rolled my eyes since I thought I would never, ever use it . But the food is shockingly good: salad bar and fresh fruit every day, which is mostly what I eat, and always a hot meal option. Because I work at a Jewish school, which has been a fascinating experience for someone who knew far less about the culture that she thought, they keep Kosher, meaning that each day it is either a "meat" meal or a "dairy meal. The dairy meals are fine, but occasionally there's something gross like brisket for lunch. Thankfully, there is always a vegetarian option on those days.

I always set a time limit for leaving campus after classes because it can be easy to stay very late grading papers, setting up or tearing down labs, making copies, and planning lessons. I do not have a first period this year, so I am intending on doing my daily set up (white board calendar, lab notebook page set-up, setting out supplies, etc.) in the morning, although I will still need to glance over the next day's plans each afternoon to see if I need to pick anything up or if there is something particularly time-consuming for the next day.

Once I get home, I will change and put up the day's post and then work out. My goal is to do weights on Mondays and Wednesdays and then dog walking paired with more intense cardio (running or stationary bike) on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Friday afternoons are off, my little gift to myself. Weekends will be dog walking and yoga videos. I've been going to yoga studio this summer but I honestly prefer to work out at home during the year, since I'm already gone so much.

It becomes a lot harder to work out when I'm so busy, but I've gained so much ground this summer in terms of muscle that I want to do my best to keep going.

Dinners will be much simpler since I am going to be both tired and pressed for time. Each meal will feature:

-A lean protein: chicken breast, fish (with chicken for Hubby), or extra lean ground turkey that will either be baked or grilled on my little counter top contraption. Seasoned or served with sauce (BBQ, teriyaki, ranch, etc.).

-Veggies: I especially like broccoli, green beans, or salad.

-If I'm very hungry only: a healthy carb, like a baked sweet potato with light butter or brown rice.

Snacks change, too, when I'm working. I typically have a morning snack at work and an afternoon snack when I get home. This means I skip dessert. The morning snack will be fruit (apple, berries, grapes) with protein (probably yogurt or cottage cheese) and the afternoon will be a protein-only snack to fuel my workout. I'm thinking a big carton of flavored soymilk for a combination of treat and energy source.